


Stray

by MemoryPalaceofWillGraham (JaxCat)



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, not even Hannibal is immune to puppy eyes, stray dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-06
Updated: 2014-07-06
Packaged: 2018-02-07 15:52:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1904853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaxCat/pseuds/MemoryPalaceofWillGraham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While preparing dinner for himself and Will, a stray dog appears on Hannibal's doorstep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stray

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the the Murder Husband Network on tumblr, for the weekly prompt of "family." I had both angsty and fluffy ideas for this prompt, and so I wrote both.

When Hannibal opened his front door early one evening, he was not expecting to find what he did. He had heard noises from out front and went to investigate. He had no packages scheduled to arrive, but thought they may have been somebody waiting on the front stoop with something to sell or a cause to promote. He was right in the middle of dinner preparations and didn’t bother to remove his apron. He would get rid of the stranger politely, but quickly, so that he could return to preparing the meal he would share with Will tonight.

 

Once he opened the door and saw the dog, however, he knew a slight kink had been thrown into his plans.

 

The dog standing on his stoop appeared to be a mixed-breed with short mahogany red fur and a white blaze on its chest. Its ears pricked towards Hannibal and its tail thumped twice before settling. Hannibal took in the condition of the dog. There was no collar. Hannibal was familiar enough with all the dogs in his neighborhood (being almost exclusively well-groomed purebreds never seen off a leash) and figured this dog had either been wandering for a while or had been dumped. It was thin and it held one front paw up gingerly as it stood. It was was a fairly nice-looking creature otherwise and appeared calm enough. _She appeared calm enough_ , Hannibal mentally amended as he took in the dog’s swollen sides, even more evident due to the thinness of the rest of her body.

 

Hannibal hesitated, which was rare enough for him. Not long ago in his life he would have closed the door on the dog and at the most have called an animal rescue organization. Although he held no enmity towards such animals (they couldn’t be rude or cruel the way humans were) he had no interest in owning a pet himself. He had spent some time with Will’s dogs and while, he could now admit, there were worse ways to pass the time, he still was not interested in taking on a pet. But still he hesitated. It wasn’t clear to him whether it was due to the animal’s state, her hurt paw, or the fact that Will would be here soon, but Hannibal found he could not ignore the dog on his step.

 

“Stay,” he said and was pleased to see the dog sit down. He closed the door and quickly returned to the kitchen, pulling off his apron and turning off the stove. He then proceeded upstairs to change into a more casual set of clothes, having no wish to cover his current suit in dog hair. Once done, he returned to the front door. The dog was waiting, and her tail wagged again when Hannibal reappeared. He stepped around the dog, touching her head lightly. The dog seemed to understand and she followed Hannibal around the side of his house, to the gate leading to his backyard. There he left the dog on the deck, glancing at his watch. Will was due to arrive in about 45 minutes. Hannibal tapped a finger against his leg briefly, working out a plan of action.

 

Stepping back inside, he made a quick detour to his study to look up some information on his iPad. He had no dog food, of course, and no time to make a trip to the store. What he had on had would have to suffice. Will had mentioned once that a whole variety of common foods were poisonous to dogs and Hannibal felt it best to check that he didn’t feed the dog something that would sicken her before Will could even get here. Once more returning to the kitchen, Hannibal set aside a portion of the meat and vegetables he had started to prepare before he was interrupted. As the stove reheated, he chopped the meat and then quickly cooked it along with some vegetables without spices or sauce, leaving it to cool while he hunted up something put it in. In a cupboard he had some thick, plain china platters and bowls, nothing that he regularly used for his dinner guests. He spooned the portion onto a platter and filled a wide, deep soup bowl with water.

 

The dog had laid down on her side, but eagerly got to her feet when she smelled the food. She nudged Hannibal’s a little bit as he placed the food and water in front of her, and he couldn’t help but smooth his hand over her head. After she had eaten, he retrieved his medical kit and two towels. Back out on the deck he called to the dog, who was still snuffling around the platter. Hannibal was pleased she came over right away, limping due to the foot that she held up. Spreading one towel out, he knelt down on it and gently took the dog’s paw in his hand. She whined but held still

 

Hannibal studied the paw, noting that the pad was rough, which again made him think the dog had been walking a long distance. Up near the toes was a raw, bloody patch. The dog must have cut or scraped her paw on something. He flushed the wound out and applied some disinfectant. The dog once again whined but neither snapped or tried to pull away. “Good girl,” Hannibal murmured, absent-mindedly, focused on his work. He wrapped the paw in some gauze and bandages, satisfied that her paw could now begin to heal. The dog licked his hand gently when he finished. As the dog sniffed the bandages curiously, Hannibal heard Will’s car pull up.

 

Will had a key, so Hannibal took the time needed to gather up the licked-clean platter and his supplies. He returned the medical bag to its accustomed place and washed his hands. When he re-entered the kitchen, he found Will looking around curiously. Usually when Will came over Hannibal could be found in the kitchen, nearing the completion of whatever dishes he was preparing. Tonight, however, the only prepared food in evidence was the rest of the meat and vegetables Hannibal had prepared. Will raised an eyebrow at Hannibal.

 

Hannibal smiled at that, and spooned the rest of the food onto the platter. “I am afraid it is going to be a bit longer until dinner. Please, come with me,” he said to Will.

 

“Oh, so mysterious,” Will said cheekily, following Hannibal back through the house.

 

Stepping outside, Hannibal was not surprised to see that Will immediately noticed the dog. A beaming smile broke out over his face and he quickly went to his knees, holding out a hand and calling softly. The dog came over immediately. In comparison to how she had acted with Hannibal, seemingly knowing that it was best to be restrained, the dog all but bowled Will over, pressing against his chest and sniffing his face animatedly. Will let out a delighted laugh, ruffling her ears.

“Hey, girl! Where did you come from, sweetheart?” Will turned his smile on Hannibal. “Wherever did you find her?”

 

Hannibal set the refilled platter of food down, keeping his voice casual. “I found her on my front step. I believe she may be a stray.” The dog set her attention to the food, her tail wagging happily.

 

“Yeah, a stray, but she was definitely someone’s pet at one point. Otherwise she wouldn’t be nearly this friendly.” Will patted her side, his forehead creasing. “Hannibal. She’s pregnant.”

 

“I am aware. Would you like to stay out here? I am going to finish preparing dinner for us.”

 

Will waved him off, and Hannibal savored one last look at dear Will, headless of his pants as he settled cross-legged next to the dog, talking softly to her.

 

Hannibal quickly changed his plans for dinner. He put some ingredients back and pulled out others, creating a quick and light dish, appropriate for eating out on the deck. He thought Will would appreciate spending more time with the dog. Besides, the sunset was lovely at the moment, the air warm, and he had the perfect wine waiting to go with the new meal. As he was plating up, Will came in, filling up the bowl with some fresh water. “She was awfully thirsty,” Will commented. “And who knows how long since she has had something to eat or drink.” He turned to Hannibal and surprised him with a kiss. “Thank you for taking care of her. I am surprised to see you using your own dishes.”

 

“Dishes can be washed,” Hannibal informed him, enjoying how Will’s eyes twinkled as he gently teased him over his sense of cleanliness. Gathering up the plates and glasses, leaving Will to take the bowl of water, napkins, and silverware, the bottle of wine clutched in the crook of his elbow, the two men got on to the business of enjoying dinner together.

 

After dinner, Will had retrieved one of the blankets he kept in the back of his car. Hannibal knew he usually kept blankets and some food and jugged water available, due to his predilection for picking up strays. He had folded it up, making a slightly softer bed for the dog. She now slept on it, snoring softly as Hannibal and Will sat silently, enjoying more wine and each other’s company.

 

“What are you going to do?” Will asked, his head tipped against the back of his chair, eyes seeking out the stars that were beginning to appear. “With the dog.”

 

“I believe she looks like a Rosalie.”

 

Will snorted and burst out laughing. “Oh man. You know what they say.”

 

“What do they say, Will?”

 

“Once you name a stray, they’re yours.”

 

“I am merely commenting on a name that seems appropriate for the dog,” Hannibal informed him, “as she does not have any tags and I must call her something besides “Dog.””

 

Will calmed down, saying seriously, “I know you haven’t ever expressed interest in having a dog, Hannibal. And I’m not sure you would be happy with how quickly dog hair can accumulate. Do you want me to take her back home, look after her?”

 

Hannibal took a sip of wine and considered the dog stretched out before them. As though feeling his gaze, her eyes opened. They were a light greyish blue color. In fact, they were quite similar to Will’s eyes (though Hannibal did not say that aloud). Rosalie stood up and approached Hannibal, softly laying her head on his knee. He put down his wine glass, and ran his fingers over her head, scratching behind an ear. He could see Will watching him out of the corner of his eye.

 

“With her current condition and injury, I think it would be best if she stayed here. Although I know you would be more than capable of taking care of her, I think she would do well to be in a restful environment and not have to compete with other dogs while she recovers. I believe this would be the most sensible course of action.”

 

Rosalie’s tail thumped and she snuggled her head more firmly under Hannibal’s hand.

 

Will hid a smile and reached out for Hannibal’s other hand, entwining their fingers. “Oh yes. Very sensible.”

 

More stars appeared, and Hannibal refilled both their glasses. The silence was only broken once more by Will.

 

“Just think of that. We are going to have puppies.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I figure we all need the prospect of puppies when it comes to this show.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at memorypalaceofwillgraham.tumblr.com


End file.
